Fact of the day

Information is the most powerful weapon.

Monday

Fact N°
1191

Counting sheep is an ineffective way to fall asleep.

It is a very familiar cultural reference: one sheep follows another jumping over a fence, and this dull monotony gently lulls a person to sleep. Yet according to a recent study coming out of Oxford University, the classic technique is in fact not a terribly effective one.
The reason? The dull monotony is too dull for most; it is so dull that it can not keep hold of a person's attention long enough for them to relax to the point that they fall asleep. Instead, the study found that visualization -- imagining a tranquil scene -- was substantially more effective.

Tuesday

Fact N°
1192

The Other World Kingdom is a micronation that advocates the enslavement of men.

Founded in 1996 on farmland in Cerna, Czech Republic, by its current ruler, Queen Patricia I, the Other World Kingdom (OWK) is a micronation with its own currency, police force and judicial system, although it is not recognized by any other country in the world. It is chiefly a large BDSM resort (bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism) where all the women in residence are dominatrixes, and all the men are submissives.
OWK operates as a matriarchal monarchy governed by the principle that women are "always, everywhere and in everything superior to the male creature."

Wednesday

Fact N°
1193

The term "spitting image" has its roots in DNA.

The original version of this term is actually "spit and image." If someone says you are the "spit and image" of one of your parents, the comparison is reflecting both the biological material you inherited from your parents (the "spit") and your physical resemblance to them (the "image").
That said, there is not full agreement among linguists on this issue. Some believe the "spit" derives from a differing pronunciation of "spirit" while others feel "spitting image" is correct, deriving from a "speaking likeness."

Thursday

Fact N°
1194

The infamous "Pornocracy" was not at all what it sounds like.

The term sounds like it references a nation governed by porno, but in fact it refers to a period in the history of the Papacy, specifically the first 60 or so years of the 10th century, when the position of the Catholic Pope was under the influence of a handful of women from a large family of aristocrats.
The term "pornocracy" derives from the original Greek terms for "prostitute" (porne) and "to rule" (kratein). Also known as the Rule of the Harlots, the women are accused of being concubines of the Popes, as well as arranging the murder of Pope John X so that their preferred choice, Pope Leo VI, could assume the chair of St. Peter.

Friday

Fact N°
1195

The "July phenomenon" is reason enough to avoid some hospitals in the summer.

According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, the month of July is the deadliest time to be a patient at a teaching hospital. Every July, the mortality rate at those hospitals sees a spike of about 4% which, in human terms, means that as many as 14 patients die a lot sooner than they should have.
The reason? Cohort turnover, the simultaneous exit of a large number of experienced employees and a similarly sized entry of new workers. In this case, the new workers are residents fresh from med school, and despite direct supervision, they're prone to make mistakes.
The safest time to trust your life to a teaching hospital is between January and June, after residents have been on staff for about six months.

Saturday

Fact N°
1196

On a first date, men need 15 minutes to decide if they want a second date. Women need an hour.

So says the online dating service It's Just Lunch!, perhaps testifying both to the decisiveness of men and to the fairness and consideration of women.
Other interesting facts provided by the site include the overwhelming male preference for brunettes over blondes (76%); the fact that almost one out of every two first dates that go to restaurants eat Italian; that women believe baseball games to be a great place to meet guys; and that 43% of singles have Googled someone on the internet before their first date.

Sunday

Fact N°
1197

Ann Hodges is the only known human being to have been struck by a meteorite.

On the early afternoon of November 30, 1954, 31-year-old Hodges was sleeping on a couch in her living room in eastern Alabama when a softball-sized 8.5-pound meteorite crashed through her roof, crushed a nearby radio and struck her in the arm and hip, giving her some bruises but breaking no bones.
Overnight, she became a celebrity, and although she had offers to buy the meteorite for thousands of dollars, she eventually donated it to the University of Alabama, where it is today.